Apparatus for opening tobacco curing sticks

ABSTRACT

A foot treadle operated pivotable cam plate engages the spring locks on each end of a tobacco curing stick simultaneously to release the lock and then move the top member up from the frame so that it may be grasped and manually removed.

United States Patent 1 Williams Dec. 4 1973 [54] APPARATUS, FOR OPENINGTOBACCO 3,014,604 12/ 1961 Loomis 214/38 CC CURING STICKS 3,430,555 3/1969 DeBruhl 214/300 X Inventor: Delmas D. Williams, Rt. 1,

Robersonville, NC. 27871 Filed: June 30, 1972 Appl. No.: 267,928

US. Cl. 214/1 R, 214/5.5, 214/304 Int. Cl B65b 13/18 Field of Search214/304, 300, 5.5,

I References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1964 Danford et al 214/5.5 x

Primary Examiner-Frank E. Werner Attorney-Laurence R. Brown [57]ABSTRACT A foot treadle operated pivotable cam plate engages the springlocks on each end of a tobacco curing stick simultaneously to releasethe lock and then move the top member up from the frame so that it maybe grasped and manually removed.

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures SHEET 2 0F 2 PATENTED 4|975 APPARATUS FOROPENING TOBACCO CURING STICKS angle iron posts 11, l2 and at the bottomframe memi v bers l3, 14. The length of the stick is about 4 feet soThis invention relates to tobacco handling machinery Y lt is customaryto cure tobacco leaves in frames termed sticks. These sticks are in theform of rectangular frames with tobacco retaining rods held therein. Theframe has a top member removable to release to bacco generally aftercuring. This top member contains the rods and is held in place by alocking means engaging mating locking structure on longitudinallyopposite ends of the remainder of the rectangular frame. The lockingmeans are generally heavy metal spring biased clips of perhapsone-sixteenth inch steel strap attached to the top member and extendingnormally away from it so that when compressed they can slide throughmating retaining channel members on the opposite ends of the frame. Thetop frame member is' held-in place by a tab member on the end of thespring clips which slides through the channel when the'spring tension iscompressed and engages the'open lower end of the channel member byspring bias force to retain thetop member in place as one side of therectangular frame. To release the lock the spring clip must be pushedback at each.

end of the stick enough to" enter the tab intothe retaining channel tobe pushed upinto the channel which then retains the lock in releasedposition so that the top frame member can be pushed up for removal.

Because of the length of the stick and the strength of the spring clipthis removal process has been cumbersome and time consuming. g

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide apparatus forefficiently opening tobacco curing sticks.

Therefore in accordance with this invention a foot treadle through alinkage operatescurved cam plates at both ends of the stick tosimultaneously release the locks and push up the top member enough toengage the lock tab in the retaining channel.

Further features, objectives and advantages will be found throughout thefollowing description, with reference to the accompanying drawing,wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the stick releasing apparatusafforded by this invention,

FIG-2 is a partial rear perspective view of the apparatus,

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial perspective cut away view of the lockingmechanism and release earn in locked position as seen from arrows 3--3of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial side view partly cut away mid-stroke.

Referring now to the drawing in which the reference numbers are crossreferenced in the various views, FIG. 1 outlines the generalconfiguration of the apparatus afforded by the invention. Thus, thestick 5 retains to bacco leaves 6" by means of rods 7 held in theremovable top frame member 8 by fasteners 7A. To release the tobaccoleaves, the top member 8 is removed from the remainder of the stickwhich comprises generally a rectangular frame member of which the topportion is removable member 8. The opposite ends of the frame member 9are held together by bottom frame member 10 when the top member 8 isremoved.

To receive the stick assembly 5 in place by the force of gravity, acradle member comprising at the ends two that the cradle ends are spacedby the length of the stick to hold it firmly therebetween withoutsubstantial endwise slippage. For ready entry the open ends l5, 16 ofthe cradle end members ll, 12 are flanged to provide guide meanspermitting a funnelling effect as the stick is inserted into the cradle.

On each end member of the stick is a locking channel structure 20, intowhich is inserted mating spring biased locking clip means 21 attached tothe removal top member 8, as will be discussed hereinafter in more detail. Opposite ends 9 of thestick and cradle mechanism assembly aresimilar in structure and operation.

To open the stick'the locking means -21 .must be released and the topframe member 8 moved upwardly.

. This is accomplished by a pivoted cam plate member 22, pivoting withrod 23 in bearing holes of tabs 24, 25 welded'or otherwise affixed tothe respective end cradle members 11, 12.

Cam plate 22 is pivoted between predetermined limits of movement bylever arm 26 through linkage 27,

, linkage and cam plate 22 to one limit position at which the cam plate22 is disengaged from the locking means on the ends 9 of the sticks 5. I

As may be seen from FIG. 2, a platform 40 may be .located on the rearside of the cradle bottom at substantially the level of thebottom member10 of the sticks 5 to receive and support the tails of the tobaccoremoved from the stick by withdrawal of the top member 8. h

The apparatus in operation to release the lock and remove the top framemember 8 of the stick performs two types of motion by means of thesingle pivoted cam I plate member 22, namely an inward motion toward theends of the stick 8 to release the lock and an upward motion to push theframe top member 8 upwardly to a position where the lockchannelstructure 20 retains the lock in released position.

This mode of operation is better understood by reference to the views ofFIGSQ3 and 4. The lock comprises (1) the lock tongue member 21 which isspring biased -to force the end 50 with the normally extending tab 5]outwardly away from the ends of the stick and-(2) the engaging matinglocking channel structure 20 which constrains and guides the tonguemember 21 as the top frame member 8 is inserted into place to abottomming position at which tab 51 snaps outwardly below the lower openend of channel structure 20 in the position shown in FIGS. Thisstructure locks the top frame member firmly in place.

To release the lock, the lower end 50 of the tongue member 21 must bepushed inwardly as shownby arrow 52 and then pushed upwardly as shown byarrow 53 carrying thereby with it the top frame member 8. As tab 51slips within channel 20 the top frame member 8 may be frictionally heldin a partially open position for further simple manual removal, sincethe spring action of tongue end 50 will hold the tab 51 against theouter wall of the channel 20 in an unlocked position.

Thus, the cam plate 22 has a curved outer end which frictionally engagesthetongue end portion 50 and tab 51 as it is pivoted in the direction ofarrow 61.

The initial portion of the pivot arc will serve to push the h reach aposition such as that shown in FIG. 4, so that tab 51 may slide upwardly(53) into the mating lock channel structure 20 as the cam plate 22 ispivoted through the final portion of its pivot arc. Thus the curved camend 60 of pivoting cam plate member 22 serves to engage frictionally thespring tongue end 50 and overcome its spring bias on its inward motion.The curved cam end 60 then engages the tapered lower end of tab andforces the spring biased tongue 21 and its attached frame memberupwardly to cock the lock is released position with the tab 51 at leastpartly inserted inside the lock channel structure 20.

Accordingly, it is seen that the entire function of releasing the lockat both ends of the stick and pushing the top frame member upwardly toan unlocked position ready for manual further removal is accomplishedefficiently and simply by operation of foot pedal 30.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for opening tobacco curing sticks to release therefrom aremovable member, wherein the sticks are of the type having a generallyrectangular frame with locking means attached to a removable top memberand engaging mating locking structure on two opposite ends of thesticks, comprising in combination, a mechanism movable in a first degreeof motion to engage and release said locking means from said lockingstructure on said two ends simultaneously and thereafter in a seconddegree of motion to move said top member upwards from said frame enoughto retain said locking means in an unlocked position, wherein saidmechanism comprises a pivotable plate member with a curved end cammingportion and means pivoting said plate member to place the curved end camportion into engagement with said locking structure thereby frictionallysliding both to release said locking means and to move said top memberas said cam portion is pivoted. v

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 having a foot operated treadle, and alinkage coupled thereto pivoting said plate member.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 including a cradle for receiving andholding said sticks by force of gravity, said cradle having guide meansat said two opposite ends for holding said sticks in place, and meansmounting on each guide means said pivotable plate member.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said locking means comprisesa spring biased member and said mechanism comprises said cam plateengaging said spring member to release said lock.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said cam v plate includesmeans for engaging said locking meansmoved through a pivot are by saidleverage system.

1. Apparatus for opening tobacco curing sticks to release therefrom aremovable member, wherein the sticks are of the type having a generallyrectangular frame with locking means attached to a removable top memberand engaging mating locking structure on two opposite ends of thesticks, comprising in combination, a mechanism movable in a first degreeof motion to engage and release said locking means from said lockingstructure on said two ends simultaneously and thereafter in a seconddegree of motion to move said top member upwards from said frame enoughto retain said locking means in an unlocked position, wherein saidmechanism comprises a pivotable plate member with a curved end cammingportion and means pivoting said plate member to place the curved end camportion into engagement with said locking structure thereby frictionallysliding both to release said locking means and to move said top memberas said cam portion is pivoted.
 2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1having a foot operated treadle, and a linkage coupled thereto pivotingsaid plate member.
 3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 including a cradlefor receiving and holding said sticks by force of gravity, said cradlehaving guide means at said two opposite ends for holding said sticks inplace, and means mounting on each guide means said pivotable platemember.
 4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said locking meanscomprises a spring biased member and said mechanism comprises said camplate engaging said spring member to release said lock.
 5. Apparatus asdefined in claim 4 wherein said cam plate includes means for engagingsaid locking means and thereby moving said top member upwards from saidframe.
 6. Means for releasing a spring lock member on a tobacco stickcomprising in combination, a mechanical leverage system terminating in amovable cam member, and means holding said tobacco stick with said lockmember adjacent said moving cam member to thereby release said lockthrough operation of said leverage system wherein said movable cammember comprises a pivoted plate-like member with a curved outer endmoved through a pivot arc by said leverage system.